The present invention relates in general to the field of equipment for firefighters and other safety personnel, and, more particularly, to a system and method for alerting safety personnel of unsafe air temperature conditions.
Firefighters and other safety personnel use various types of equipment when fighting a fire. This equipment typically includes a coat, boots, gloves and other clothing specially created to protect against fire and heat as well as a self contained breathing apparatus to provide oxygen. Although such equipment provides some protection, firefighter""s still face significant dangers including the danger of a flashover. In general, once the ambient temperature in a fire reaches about 600 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature will quickly rise to over 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, a flashover can occur in which the air ignites and kills or severely injures firefighters. Thus, it is unsafe to fight fires once the ambient temperature reaches around 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
To alleviate some of the dangers involved in firefighting, various electronic devices have been developed to provide warnings to firefighters. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,148 discloses a dual activation alarm system for a personal alert safety system (PASS). U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,909 discloses a temperature monitoring assembly that is incorporated into a garment such as a coat. This device includes a speaker to provide an audible alarm. U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,549 discloses a personal alarm safety system that is designed as part of the firefighter""s belt. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,378 discloses an integrated firefighter safety monitoring and alarm system that provides a number of warnings to a firefighter. This system includes temperature monitoring and provides an audible alarm. The system also has a display for providing additional information to the firefighter including a visible warning. The system is contained in a case that can have a belt or mounting clip for attaching to the firefighter""s equipment.
However, even with such conventional devices, firefighters are still injured or killed by flashovers. The complexity of the conventional devices, the difficulties of the firefighting environment and the type and location of the warnings cause firefighters not to hear audible warnings or not to see visible warnings of dangerous ambient temperatures.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method for alerting safety personnel of unsafe air temperature conditions are disclosed that provide advantages over previously developed temperature warning equipment.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for alerting safety personnel of ambient air temperature conditions is provided. The system includes a control unit stored within a housing wherein the control unit includes electronics operable to communicate a signal associated with an ambient air temperature condition. The system also includes a sensor unit communicatively coupled to the control unit wherein the sensor unit operable to be positioned within an ambient environment at a distance from the control unit. The sensor unit includes a temperature sensor operable to sense an ambient air temperature and an indicator operable to provide an indication representing the ambient air temperature condition.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for operating a safety device for displaying ambient air temperature conditions to safety personnel is provided. The method includes sensing an ambient air temperature using a temperature sensing device and determining a mode of operation associated with the device in response to the sensed temperature.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a removable safety system operable to be coupled to safety personnel for detecting ambient temperature conditions is provided. The system includes a control unit operable to be coupled to the safety personnel having electronics operable to communicate signals associated with the ambient air condition. The system further includes a sensor unit operable to be positioned with an ambient environment and coupled to a substantially centered position of a viewmask. The sensor unit includes a temperature sensor having an temperature dependent operating mode communicatively coupled to the control unit and a first indicator and second indicator operable to display an indication representing an ambient air temperature condition.
A technical advantage of the present invention is the providing of indicators and/or alarms to safety personnel focused upon the personal safety of the firefighter. The trigger points, rather than being focused on equipment safety, focus upon the safety personnel.
Another technical advantage of the present invention is the ease of use in that the temperature indicators are positioned within the personnel""s peripheral vision near the face mask of a self contained breathing apparatus. The present invention can help save lives by providing a passively visible warning that the environment is approaching flashover conditions. Further, the present invention may save on taxpayer""s funds that would have otherwise been spent on fire suit replacements, compensation packages and downtime costs.
A further technical advantage of the present invention is providing a system having an operating mode dependent on an ambient air temperature conditions and system operating availability.
Another technical advantage of the present invention is providing a removable safety system which may be coupled to conventional firefighting equipment such as face shields, helmets, mask webbings and the like.
Additional technical advantages should be readily apparent from the drawings, description, and claims.